Shock-absorbing mechanism.



ALJ. 'P. BBR'TSGHY.

SHOGK ABSORBING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED KAY 1908.

i Patented. Dec, 12,15,11

a sums-sand: 2.

InvanI ur- To all whom it ma'y concern:

on automobiles or other vehicles for neu-' UNITEDIsTA -Es mum onriong snoex nnson niive Mnonnmsm,

soHY,a citizen of the United States, resid ing at Chicago, in the county ofCook and State of Illinois, have 'invented'a certain new and useful. Improvement in Shock-Absorbing Mechanism, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exactwdescription, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification. J Y

My invention relates tomeans employed tralizingthe shock or impactexperienced by the wheels of the vehicleinorderthat the resultant shock or impact impartedto' the frame of the vehicle maybe reduced to a minimum. J

My lnvention consists broadly in. associating with the wheels of the vehicle .cushioning means, the resistance of which may be varied as desired, as, a result of which;

the force exerted upon the axles relatively to thevehicle may-be varied as desired.

' In the practice of my invention, Lfind it desirable to provide independent means for regulating the resistance of the cushioning means used forgthe different wheels and-I also find it desirable to-employ independent .with the axles and frame -of the vehicle means for maintaining suitable air pressure, as a result of the motion of the axles rela-' tively to the vehicle.

cushioning means toneut-ralize the shock or ampactin each direction at each wheel.

In the operation of my invention, I find it desirable, to use a system of control employing airunder pressure to offer the required resistance inthe several cushioning means, and in orderto conveniently regulate the various shock absorbing or cushioning devices I may employ regulating valves or mechanisms, all preferably located within easy reach of the driver of-the veh1cleas for example, on the dashboard.

My invention also consists in, associating pressed is stored in. suitable. reservoirs and may be used to adjust thecushioning devices control for the cushioning devices which asdesired. j y I My invention contemplates a system-of may be common 'or individual, as desired,

and I find that compressed air'operates very satisfactorily to offer the resistance required in the cushioningdevices sincethe opposi tion offered at first to displacement is com vention are as follows:

The air thus com- 1 parativ'ely small and rapidly increases as Be it ,known that I, ADOLPH J. P. BERT- the air is further compressed by the operation of such cushioning devices.

The several drawings illustrating my in-' Figure 1 is a side view ofthevehicle and shows the framework and axles together with the cushioning devices employed. Fig. .2 shows L partly in diagram the system of piping employed between the several cush ionmg devices and the regulating or controlling valves. similar to Fig. 1,-a modified'form of suspension of the axles from the frame and a j Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Dec. 12, 1911. l v i- Application filed May20, 1908i Serial NO..433 ,799.\

Fig.1?) shows in a view system of cushioning devices similar a to those shown in Fig. 1.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views. Referring to Fig. lot the drawings: the frame 1 has pivoted near its ends at'6' and 7,

the bent levers 4: and5 connected-at their outerv ends to the springs 8' and 9, which springs are in turn secured to the i axles 2 and 3 respectively. The other ends of the levers'tand 5'are secured at points 22 and 23 to rods 20. and 21 terminating in plungers contained in the cylinders 16, 18 and 17 19.

The cylinders 16 and 17 are suitably supported from the under side of the frame 1 by means of brackets 10 and 11, which also' serve to j support the inner ends of the springs 8 and: 9. The cylinders 18 and 19 are supported above the frame 1 bymeans of brackets 24 and 25. From the construction described, it will be understood that if 4 compressed air is'admitted into the cylinders 16 and 17 below the plungers therein,

' the weight of the vehicle will be supported in part by the compressed air contained within these cylinders, as a result of which ifone of the wheels strikes an obstruction the excess of.for'ce imparted for the instant desirable that-the air pressure in the cylin ders 18 and 19-shall' not be as great as in the cylinders 16 and 17. As a means for maintaining suitable air pressure to operate, t

the cushioning devices, I make use of; cylinders 12 and 13 secured to the upper sidesof the springs ;8 and 9 and cooperating wlth too suddenly whenthe wheels come to de- V 'pressi on's in the road, and. as a result it is the others.

plungers carried by rods Hand 15 from the I It is to be understood that the equipment shown in Fig.1 for supportin the wheels and compressing the air is duplicated on the other side of the vehicle.

Referring to Fig. 2, the cushioning devices located on the far side of the vehicle and not shown in Fig. 1 are indicated by the same numerals as the mechanism shown in Fig. 1 with the addition of the letter a. In Fig. 2, the several cushioning devices and pump cylinders are shown diagrammatically connected bypiping through control valves located on the dashboard of the vehicle to the air supply tanks. The pumps 13 and 13 are connected by pipe 34 through check valves 31, 31 with pipe 35 and thereby with the supply tank 27. The pumps 12 and 12 are connected by pipe 32 through the check valves 30 and 30 with the pipe 33 and thereby with the supply tank 27. Thus, means is provided by which each of the pumps indicated may be effective in supplying compressed air to the tank 27 and further that the operation of each of these pumps may be independent of the'operation of all of As described, a safety valve is provided on the tank 27 to guard against excessive pressure. The tank 27 is connected by pipe 36 through regulating valve 37 and pipe 38 with a second tank 26. The tank 26 1s connected by pipe 39 through regulating valve 40 with regulating valves 44, 45, 46 and 47 connected through pipes 52, 53, 54 and 55 with cylinders 16, 16, 17 and 17 respectively. The tank 26 is also connected by pipe 39 through regulating valve 41 with regulating valves 48, 49, 50 and 51 connected through pipes 56, 57, 58 and 59 with cylinders 18, 18 19" and 19 respectively. All of the regulating valves are represented as located on thedashboard 29 of'the vehicle. These valves are provided in order that the air pressure in anyone of the cylinders may be regulated to the desired amount, and since the detail of these valves forms no part of my present invention, it is not here shown or described. Any well known device of the reducing valve type may be used in this connection. From the arrangement of the regulating'valves described, it. will be understood that b adjusting the individual valves 44 to 51 lnclulsiv e, thecushioning cylinders may be independently controlled and adjusted to any degree of resistance desired. The cushion ing devices may also be controlled in groups when desired by. means 'of the regulating valves 40'and 41, in which case the individual valves are moved to their high pressure position, the valvej40 serving to control all of the lower cushioning devices and the valve 41 serving to control all of the upper cushionin devices. Again, if the individual regulating valves and the regulating valves .40 and 41 are moved to a high pressure position, the entire cushioning system may be controlled by means of. the valve 37. v,

By means of the system just described, I am enabled to adjust the character of the support of the vehicle for different-conditions of the road, also for different loads, and I am thereforenot limited as to the roads that may be driven over or the amount of load that may be carried by the character of the steel spring supports ordinarily used.

In Fig. 3, the method of suspension 1s different, in that the springs 8 and 9 are supported at their outer ends directly from the frame 1, the inner ends of these springs being supported by bent-levers 60 and 61 pivo'ted at 62 and 63 from the frame 1 and engaging at their inner ends at 22 and 23 with the rods 20 and 21, which rods are similar.

to those shown and described in connection with Fig. 1. In this modification the cylinders 16'and 17 are supported from the underside of the frame 1 by means of brackets 64 and 65. In other respects, the system of cushioning and control is thesame as that already described for Fig. 1 and the results secured are similar. 4

' While I have described my invention as using compressed air to effect the cushion ing ofthe shock absorbing devices, I do not, however, limit myself to this cushioning means since I may employ other equivalent means without departing from the spirit of my invention. For instance, suitable liquid might be used, in which case the regulating valves would be of a type adapted to the particular cushioning medium employed.

While I have shown my invention in the particular embodiment herein disclosed, I do not, however, limit myself to this construction but desire to claim broadly any equivalent construction that will suggest itself to those skilled in the art.

What I claim is:

1. In a vehicle, a frame, axles supporting said frame, a set of upper cushioning devices, a setof lower cushioning devices, said sets of cushioning devices being adapted to use a fluid cushioning medium between said vibrations between said frame, and said axles, means for automatically supplying the cushioning devices with the medium thus placed under pressure, adash board for said vehicle, means on said' dash boardifor controlling the upper set of cushionin devices' eitherlinde endently or collectively, means onsaid das board for regulat ng the lower set 'of'eushionin devices either independentlyor collective y, 'and means on said dash board for simultaneously controlling all the cushioning devices. r 2'. In a vehicle, a frame, axles supporting said fram a series of icushionin :devices above said frame, a second series of cushioning devices below said-frame, saidseries of devices. being adapted to use a fluid cush-.

ioning medium between said frame aiid said axles, means for exerting pressure on the CllSlll-Ollll'lg medium by the vlbrat 'onbetween said frame and said axles, means forautoa 'matically supplying the cushioning-means with the medium thus laced under pressure, a dash board for sai vehicle and mechanisni on s aiddash board for controlling the pressure in each of said cushioning means either collectively or individually from said dash board.

' I11 'vehicle,a frame, axles supporting ,SBJ

frame,- a series of cushionin devices above saldframe asecondser es o cushioningdevicesbelow saidir'ame, said seriesof 35. -witli the medium thus placed. un' er' presdevicesibeing adapted toluse a fluid cus ioning medium between said ,frame and said axles, means for exerting pressure on they cushlonmg mediumby the v bration between .sald frame and said axles, meansfor auto-.

matically supplying the cu'shionin means sure, dash board for said vehicle, valves -'said 'frame, a set of u use a fluid cushioning medium mounted on fsaid dash board for independ ,ently or collectively regulating the upper s e- .ries of cushionin i devices, valves. on said dash board for in ependentl or collectively 4 regulatin the lower series 0 cushioning de-- v1ces,-an a valve, for simultaneously controlling all of the cushioningdevices.

the cushioning devices with the me thus placed underpressure, a dash board for said vehicle; individual controlling valves on said dash board for regulating the upper set of cushioning devices,- .a commoncontrolling valve for simultaneously regulating all of said upper cushionin devices-controll g valves on said dash pendently-regulatinig the lower set of cush'-' honing devices, a common controlling valve- I for slmultaneous'ly regulating-the lower set /0f cushlonin devices, '"and a valve. on. said 6 dash board or simultaneously controlling all of the cushioning devices.

In witnesswhereof -I hereunto subscribe my name this 16th day of MayA D 1908 ADOLPH J. P. BERTSCH YQ 'LEONARD W. NovA'Nnnn, JOHNCLMIomEL.

ard for inde-' 

